Author Melissa Turner Lee Talks About Writing

I’m delighted to welcome author Melissa Turner Lee back to Thoughts in Progress as part of her Juniper Grove Book Solutions Virtual Book Tour for her Christian paranormal romance release, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAY.

Melissa joins us today to talk about her writing, books, and to share an

excerpt from her book and a link to a tour wide giveaway she’s hosting with lots of fun prizes.

First here’s a brief synopsis of THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAY.
    Nathaniel Taylor was a Christian who thought believers were exempted from "dark times." That was until he entered his own long time in the dark. When he meets Lilly, a young woman in danger, it sends him on a journey to discover the difference between night and day and that during dark times, the Light is hidden, not gone.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGHT AND NIGHT is available at the following locations: Amazon Paperback | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

Before she share an excerpt from the book, Melissa has graciously answered some questions for me.

Mason: With the book’s release, as you look back what was the biggest surprise that occurred in writing the story?

Melissa:
That I made fans of people who were against me writing the book.

Mason: Have you always wanted to write or was there an event that led you to writing?

Melissa:
I have always wanted to write but forgot for a while when my boys were young. I got a free day from my husband to go spend the day to myself and ended up at a bookstore to read. I remembered that I used to want to write and decided to start.

Mason: Of all the authors (past and present) you enjoy reading, has any one (or more) been an influence in your writing?

Melissa:
Margaret Mitchell. She wrote such complex characters and story. The amoral people still had noble qualities that makes you still pulled for them. People criticize Gone With The Wind for it being a romance going on in the middle of war on slavery, but never really addresses that issue. Well of course not. The main character is self-absorbed. Do you think Paris Hilton thinks too deeply about social issues? But Margaret Mitchell created that kind of character and still makes you pull for her. That takes something special. Scarlett O’Hara is a horrible person but you keep pulling for her and Rhett.

Mason: Tell us how the cover art for THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAY came to be.

Melissa:
The wonderful Marcy Rachel made the cover. We found several pictures and she put them together to make a cover that conveys the story so well. I love it.

Mason: As a published author, has your perspective of authors changed?

Melissa:
Yes. I thought they all hung out in the author’s clubhouse wearing boas and having lofty thoughts. So far, I’ve not gotten my invite to the clubhouse so my life is pretty much the same of cooking dinner, washing clothes and also writing words.
 
Mason: What can readers look forward to next from you?


Melissa:
I’m writing a time travel romance set in the 90s called FOREVER LAYLA.
Melissa, thanks for joining us and answering my questions. I can understand how Margaret Mitchell would be an influence to a writer, she is to readers as well.

Now here’s an excerpt from THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAY for your reading pleasure and to entice you a bit more.

   

     The drumming of two additional heartbeats echoed in my ears. The smells of adrenaline and body odor combined with that of chemicals being cooked. Upon closer examination, I could see the padlock on the shack was not engaged; the latch was open. Immediately, I grabbed Lilly’s arm and swung her behind me. She did not resist.
    One of the brown wooden doors flew open, revealing two men pointing black 40-millimeter guns at us. The gaunt and filthy men were both in dirty jeans, too old and worn to be worth washing. One had on a black t-shirt with the name of a heavy metal band on it, while the other wore a filthy hole-infested blue shirt. Same sandy blond hair and hazel eyes. Related.
    “Look-a-here, a couple of trespassers,” the man in the black shirt announced. “What was it the boss said to do with trespassers?”
    An evil smile grew on the face of the other man. “Shoot ’em dead. But he never said we couldn’t have a little fun first.”
     “I like how you think, little brother,” he replied, never taking his eyes off of us. A disgusting glint appeared in his eye as he gave Lilly a head-to-toe look. He nodded into the direction of the trees just to the left. “The two of you are going to walk with us into those woods there. It will make it a little easier for us to shoot you and drag you to the lake without being seen.”
    I secured Lilly’s position behind me and drove ice into my tone as I answered, “I don’t believe we’ll be making things easy for you this evening.”
    “Tough guy huh?” the older one responded almost cheerfully. “That’ll only make it more fun when you start to beg.”
    “Oh, I won’t be the one begging.”
    “No, that’ll be your girlfriend’s job,” answered the one in blue with a chuckle.
    In less than a second, I shoved Lilly several feet away and lunged at the man in the blue shirt. A shot rang out at close range, followed by Lilly’s scream.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches.
She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons.

For more on Melissa and her writing, visit her at the following sites: Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Melissa is hosting a tour wide giveaway to celebrate her book. Prizes include the following:


    GRAND PRIZE: Gift basket that includes a signed print copy of THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAY, a prayer journal, and swag pack including book charm (not pictured). This prize giveaway is onl
y available to residents of the U.S.    
SECOND PLACE: $20 winner's choice of gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (or even PayPal Cash). This prize giveaway is available internationally.

Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. To follow Melissa’s tour, visit her Juniper Grove Book Solutions Author’s Page for the tour schedule.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Is there an author that has influenced your writing or your reading?

The Earth Painter by Melissa Turner Lee On Tour

I’m delighted today to be a part of author Melissa Turner Lee’s Juniper Grove Virtual Book Tour for her latest release, THE EARTH PAINTER.

As part of the tour, Melissa is sharing an excerpt from her book. First a brief description of THE EARTH PAINTER:

    When a self-conscious young woman discovers the boy in drama class is actually the immortal who painted the world into being, she becomes the target of another painter who hates humanity.
    THE EARTH PAINTER is a Young Adult Supernatural Romance set in the small mill town of Chesnee, SC. It revolves around Holly Scruggs, whose family has just moved back to Chesnee after her dad lost his job along with pretty much everything they owned.
    Her image conscious parents correct her to the point of brokenness until she meets Theo. He is the artist responsible for all the beauty of the land and he thinks Holly is beautiful, too. Together they will fight against Fritz, the water painter, who hates humans and is hiding a secret under the high school.

THE EARTH PAINTER is available at Amazon Paperback | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads



Here’s an excerpt from the book to spark your interest:

    My mouth fell open. Was he nuts? How was I supposed to answer a question like that?
    I balled my hands into fists and put them on my hips. “What’s the matter with you?”
    When he put his hands on his hips, I got upset for a moment before I realized he was still doing the mirroring exercise.
    Ms. Jones suddenly yelled and clapped. “I love this. Love it! Everybody look at Holly and her partner. They aren’t just moving, they are conveying emotion with it. Brilliant!”
    I went back to doing normal movements. And Theo continued to stare at me. “You look so familiar. I heard you say you just moved here, but did you move back? I mean, did you live here before…a long time ago maybe?”
    “No.” I half-smiled and then bit my lip.
    He was exceptionally good looking. I’d been too irritated to notice at first, but the more I looked at him the warmer my cheeks grew. The way he stared at me didn’t help. It was intense and inquisitive, and he was too close. We weren’t touchy-feely at my house so this invasion into my personal space was especially uncomfortable.
    “So you’ve never been here before?” His gray-blue eyes studied me even more.
    “Well…um…I’ve been to Chesnee before—to visit my grandmother before she died. Maybe you saw me around town then.”
    He shook his head. “No, that’s not it. I’ve seen you up close, like this. I remember your eyes. They’re the color of the sea—just inside a coral reef, and your freckles are the stones of a volcanic island scattered along the sand. Your hair is like the sun setting over the water, shooting out orange rays in all directions.” He stared into my eyes even deeper. “You’re very pretty.”
    The impact of his words slammed into me. I’d braced myself for an insult. That’s what I was used to. This was either the way he came onto girls for a hook-up, or more likely, some mean joke to get a good laugh going with the other kids. Anger bubbled up. I knew those kinds of tricks. Those were the kinds of things the kids I used to hang with did all the time. They played them on me too, when I no longer belonged in their circle.
    My hands trembled, and my lips drew up to hold in the anger, but I refused to cry in front of this boy. I wanted to call him on his prank. I knew better than to think it was a real compliment, but I couldn’t think of anything clever to say.
    The tears burned in my eyes despite my efforts.
    “Forget this!” I shouted as I ran off the stage. Everyone’s stares bore into my back as I grabbed my backpack and made for the door. My head throbbed from ear to ear. I was dropping the class, and that was final.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches. 

She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons. 

To learn more about Melissa and her writing, visit her Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
There is a tour-wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
5 eBook Copies of both books in the Painter Series (each winner gets both); and a gift basket that contains: 1 Signed Paperback of both books in the Painter Series, Charm Necklace and Metal Bookmark inspired by The Earth Painter (US Only). The giveaway is open internationally for the eBooks and to US residents only for the gift basket. Enter below.

 rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope this excerpt sparked your interest in THE EARTH  PAINTER.